Ewsletter Nseptember 2004 NUMBER EIGHT Norfolk Historic Buildings Group

HBG ewsletter NSeptember 2004 NUMBER EIGHT Norfolk Historic Buildings Group www.nhbg.fsnet.co.uk (photo: A R Forrest) Members listening to Mike Knights talking at the AGM at Oulton Chapel, near Aylsham, about the chapel itself and Norfolk Historic Buildings Trust (see p.9). Contents Brick in Eastern England .............................. 2 Oulton Chapel ............................................... 9 AGM—4 June 2004 ......................................17 Looking up at Diss .........................................3 The Dower House, Tacolneston ............10 The Vernacular Architecture Group ...17 Ketteringham .................................................. 4 Wallpaper at Narborough Hall .............15 Letters .......................................................... 17-18 Little Walsingham...........................................5 Book Recommendations ...........................15 NHBG Committee June 2004 .................19 Ruminations at Godwick .......................... 6 News and Views ............................................16 NHBG Winter2004/05 ................20 The Old Hall, East Tuddenham ............... 8 Church Sub Group .......................................16 Wattle & Daub/ Clay Lump Day ............ 9 Membership ....................................................16 The New Buckenham Project .................16 Here we are with the Autumn edition of the Newsletter and plenty to report and comment on. The summer programme of events and visits has gone forward very successfully with members visiting the historic towns of Diss and Little Walsingham and exploring some fascinating individual buildings which are not accessible to the public. I particularly recall two equally balmy evenings at Ketteringham and East Tuddenham, filled with exploration and lively debate, and not just from the ‘experts’. The Group owes a vote of thanks to Rosemary and her team for the smooth running of these adventures and of course to the owners of the houses, whose amazing generosity in letting us invade their privacy makes everything possible. Without their cooperation effectively our subject would not exist. As Adam Longcroft announced in the last Newsletter, he stood down as Chairman at the AGM and I was elected in his place: not an easy one to fill. Adam’s expertise and hard work have given the Group a terrific start and we are in a position to make a real contribution to the study of the buildings around us. Any serious organisation such as ours must pay attention to the twin commitments of teaching and research. The former is contained in the rich and varied winter programme published in this Newsletter and the latter is well under way with the work of the Churches study group and the approaching culmination of the New Buckenham Project (see page 19). The results of the dendro survey will be announced at the meeting in New Buckenham on the 24th September so do try to be there to celebrate or commiserate, depending on the outcome. The New Buckenham Project is the subject of the next edition of the Journal, to appear in Spring 2005. Most of the material for this has now been organised and the publication should give us a solid stepping-off point for the next phase of research, the wider picture of Norfolk buildings. Much of the research for this second phase is already in hand, so there is plenty of material waiting to be interpreted, and perhaps a further grant to finance more dendro. Of course, all this depends on the people who come forward to make it happen, and the expansion of the events organising teams has already paid off by reducing the pressure on individuals. The scheme for training building recorders has produced ‘The Tacolneston Four’, who are now ready to tackle almost anything and have already contributed to the surveys needed for the New Buckenham dendro project. The next programme of training starts at Tibenham Farm, Long Row, Tibenham on Tuesday 14th September, so if you missed the preliminary meeting at the Fenners’, phone Sue Brown on 01362 688362 and book your place. The range of human, historical and aesthetic interest to be found in Norfolk’s historic buildings continues to amaze me afresh and there is a lot of relatively unexplored territory to be looked at. It is a thrilling prospect. Michael Brown Woodlands, Bylaugh Park Norfolk NR20 4RL C H A I R 01362 688362‚ Brick in Eastern England George Fenner and Rosemary Forrest were well rewarded for eighteenth century. their excursion into Essex for a day school which was run by There was a wealth of information about brick manufacture Essex County Council and Essex Historic Buildings Group at from the clays, additions for colour and texture, firing methods Cressing Temple. It brought together seven speakers who ap- to an impressive demonstration of brick handling. The first proached the topic from aspects of distribution, development, bricks were large “two-handed” jobs but by the early fourteenth manufacture, and craftsmanship. century early ergonomic brickies had honed their skills and Speakers consistently warned about dating a building by developed a “single-handed” brick. brick size. It became clear that this is not an exact science. Whilst there were photographs of wonderful brick buildings, It was agreed that the Romans were the initiators of brick and attention was also drawn to alternative sources of evidence for that the Saxons and Normans reused many of their bricks. On the use and producers of brick: early building accounts, glebe the Continent brick use continued and was reintroduced here by terriers, estate accounts, wills, inventories, poll books. Flemish brickmakers in the thirteenth century; they again bol- An excellent bibliography of some 50 references was pro- stered production and skills in the late fifteenth/ early sixteenth vided. If anyone would like a copy, then do please contact Renaissance period. It was not until the seventeenth century George (01603 620690) or Rosemary (01603 742315). that bricks became more freely available. Then transport–first This conference provided a wide overview of brick history by waterways, turnpikes, canals, and then railways–and mecha- in the Eastern Counties. Just as importantly it created an op- nisation made bricks available to all.. One interesting research portunity to meet like-minded people and to share knowledge. topic was suggested regarding the proximity of brickworks Could the Group persuade Norfolk County Council to consider to turnpikes, canals and roads. The first users of brick were running similarly targeted gatherings with the emphasis on the wealthy church establishments and royal personages who buildings rather than conservation? passed the fashionable look of brick down to their wealthy court hangers-on, before its use reached humbler levels by the late winter 2004•number eight•2 Looking up at Diss (O.E. ‘Ditch’ modified by the Normans to Diss) Bill English David Summers, the architect, met us at the Saracen’s Head, buildings shone through at every turn in Diss. Sometimes he Mount Street (16th Century or earlier to Victorian, and may would gently challenge us, ‘What do you think of that building have housed the Wool Guild), in the centre of what was probably at the end of the street?’ Does he approve or disapprove? you Diss’s medieval wool trade district. The large Perpendicular hurriedly think, mild panic in danger of skewing your judge- parish church next door may owe its size to the wealth generated ment. I managed to pass each test, I hope more by judgement by this industry. The significance of Diss is evident because it than luck. Two examples: the Corn Hall, (massive Victorian had more medieval guilds than comparable Norfolk towns. Mr scale, commanding pillars), bad; and the modern building ap- Summers urged us to spend our day in Diss looking up at the pearing to block off the end of Mere Street, good. higher parts of buildings fully to appreciate the enormous variety Finally, any visitor cannot miss the extraordinary lake, The of detail in and around windows, doors and gables. Mere, in the centre of Diss (said to be the second deepest lake in England and soon to be the subject of a university geological study). On a sunny day the mixture of old and new buildings round much of The Mere gives Diss an almost Riviera atmos- phere. 2004 is the 500th anniversary of the arrival of John Skelton in Diss. He was court poet to Henry VII, satirist and tutor to Prince Henry (later VIII). The town is part way through a year long Skelton Festival which is commendably wide and varied in its scope. Diss is a lively and interesting ancient town battling to Mitred corner reconcile its narrow streets joint probably and ancient buildings with from the late the 21st Century, and on fifteenth century balance succeeding. (cf C Hewitt, Manor House, Mount Street English Historic Carpentry, Phil- limore, 1980, p 277) At the same time he encouraged us to look at the whole streetscape, how buildings fit in and complement each other or, sadly, in some cases don’t. Where there are gaps (demoli- tion, bad planning) he hopes to find visual links in the modern replacements so that a “missing tooth” effect is ameliorated. He Carved corner argues that a beautiful and large residential building like The posts; one in Georgian Manor House (Flemish bond) should keep its large juxta-position garden, not fall prey to in-filling or other development. Houses with the nine- like these need space round them, even if it’s not for public ac- teenth century cess. He’s talking about spirit of place. This great respect for door case the ordinary vision and craftsmanship of our ancestors clearly means a lot to David Summers. Where he sees good modern design which is sympathetic to older buildings in the same street, he stops and comments, explaining how good modern architecture can span the centuries and achieve this unity; for example, new sheltered housing next to The Saracen’s Head. In Mount Street, the pedestrianised Mere Street and Den- mark Street, members spotted and discussed exterior details of buildings and theorised as to function and developmental The Saracen’s Head PH, Mount Street: early 17th century roll sequence.

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